Their Claim
by SasuNarufan13
Summary: Little People, they were called. Faerlings, people sometimes named them. Fairy folk, faeries, Fay … They were stories told to children to warn them not to wander off into the woods, to caution them against following strange people. That was all they were, though: stories. But Naruto believed in them. Slash; AU; warnings inside


**Author's note: They say that whatever you do on New Year's day sets the tone for the rest of the year. I guess for me that means another year of writing. Happy New Year, everyone!**

**Warnings: Tsunade's pov mostly with Sasuke's pov at the end; alternate universe; medieval setting; fairy talish mood; MPreg; short medical assessment; time skips; mentioned bullying**

**This is a result of me reading old fairy tales and having a too active muse *coughs***

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Kishimoto owns it.**

**I hope you'll like this absurdly long oneshot!**

* * *

**Their Claim**

She was the only one willing to take care of the young boy. Parents having succumbed to disease and rejected by the townsfolk, the little blond boy often could be seen wandering through the town. He was always on his own, nobody ready or willing to take up the care of the small child.

She hadn't known his parents, couldn't immediately recall their faces. She could be like the others, ignoring the boy, chasing him away whenever he got too close to a house. Refuse to give him even the smallest scrap of bread to survive another day.

Something in her refused to be like the other people. That something made her reach out to the boy, treat the scraps and bruises he incurred as a result of the rough treatment he was often subjected to by other people. She wasn't that type of doctor – her expertise lied within the realm of helping women through childbirth – but she still had medical knowledge on how to treat injuries and the actual doctor in town wouldn't even do so much as glance at the boy, let alone treat him.

If the boy was to survive to adulthood, it would be up to her to make sure that would happen.

So she waved him inside her small cottage whenever she caught him meandering nearby, fed him and gave him water and milk, mended his clothes – rather poorly as that had never been her forte, but she tried – and listened to whatever he chose to babble about on that particular day.

He was an odd boy, she mused sometimes when she had to clean yet another one of his injuries, but when she looked at him, he just grinned back at her and animatedly told her about the flowers he'd found that day or the way old Mister Tanaka's cat had finally allowed him to pet her.

No matter how foul the other people would become, the little boy never lost his smile or his bright chatter. His eyes never dimmed, even when people told him to scram, jeered at him or even physically knocked him out of the way.

"Doesn't it bother you, how the other people treat you?" she asked curiously one day, eight months after she'd decided to take care of the boy full time.

He looked up from his onigiri, little bits of rice stuck to the corners of his mouth. He blinked, appearing bemused. "No," he answered slowly, shrugging almost laconically. "I've got you and that's enough." He beamed at her, unaware of how his sincere response tugged at her heartstrings.

She cleared her throat and rose up from the table, fussing with the kettle when it started whistling. "Yeah, kid, you got me."

People looked at her askance when they saw her ushering the boy inside her house, but they respected her too much – and needed her expertise too much – to cast her aside. She might get weirded out looks, witness people shaking their head wearily, hear them tut their lips – but she would always be sure of her place in this town. She knew that if she talked to other people, they would never ignore her or try to do her harm.

The boy on the other hand …

Sadly the respect she'd earned was never extended to the boy in her care.

That only made her more determined to make up for the hell the townspeople were putting that poor boy through.

* * *

"I thought you once said you never wanted kids." Jiraiya quirked an eyebrow; his large hand hiding his cup with sake from view.

She pursed her lips and glanced out of the kitchen window, watching the boy – still so little despite having been in her care for nearly three years now – braiding a flower crown together and giggling to himself. Some hoodlums had been chasing after him this morning, trying to hit him with sticks and fortunately for him – and unfortunately for those little bastards – she'd just been on her way to the market when she'd come across that nasty scene.

She'd left both boys and their mothers with glowing cheeks from embarrassment behind by the time she'd been finished with them.

"I don't," she said honestly and studied her hands, inspecting them for any specks of blood left behind. She knew there weren't any. She was always meticulous with cleaning her hands and her tools when she was done delivering a baby.

"Where does he fit in then?" He nodded at the boy.

As an author he travelled a lot to do research and so they barely saw each other. The last time he'd seen her, she remembered, they'd both been tipsy and he'd been teasing her over the irony of her profession: delivering babies when she didn't want any of her own.

She shrugged and threw back the sake all at once, shuddering at the sharp taste. "Hell if I know. Maybe I just wanted to prove that there's at least one damn decent human being left in this godforsaken town."

He eyed her thoughtfully. "Well, for what it's worth it, it seems you've got the hang of it," he commented.

She snorted harshly, resting her chin on her fist. "If I had the hang of it, Jiraiya, the kid wouldn't have only me," she replied bitterly.

Sure, those mothers had been ashamed today – but tomorrow when their boys would go back to chasing after the blond boy, they wouldn't lift a finger to stop them.

"Sometimes you only need one person in your life, Tsunade," he said softly. "One person can make a lot of difference, trust me."

"Maybe when you're an adult," she said curtly and stood up to grab a new bottle. "But a kid – _that kid_ – deserves a hell of a lot more than just one person giving a shit about him."

As if knowing they were talking about him, the boy raised his head. When he caught her gaze through the window, a wide grin unfurled across his face and he raised his flower crown proudly in the air.

He'd got better at them, she noted idly. This time the flowers didn't instantly scatter apart. She nodded at him and his grin deepened and he looked particularly pleased with himself as he put the crown on his head.

Not for the first time she wondered just what it was about the boy that made the whole town spit him out. He was like a damn angel compared to some of the bastards roaming around the streets.

"Sure, but you care about him now – and that probably matters a lot to the tyke," Jiraiya murmured.

She just pressed her lips tightly together and dumped the new bottle on the table.

What did it matter how much she cared for him when the town would seemingly never accept him?

* * *

"Where is he?" she hissed underneath her breath, taking another peek behind the curtain.

The sky was growing darker with each minute that passed, almost ominously so, promising a heavy storm. She hadn't seen him all day, but that wasn't unusual, considering he was fifteen years old now and didn't need to constantly hide away in her house anymore. He still showed up at least once a day, though, usually in the late afternoon.

It was now creeping past seven and he hadn't stopped by yet.

She tried to ignore the worry swirling in the pit of her stomach, told herself it was ridiculous to be so concerned now. He wasn't a little kid anymore; he was capable of taking care of himself now. He didn't even live officially with her, had a place of his own. Perhaps he just wasn't in the mood to come visit her; no harm in that.

Except that he hadn't been home when she went over an hour ago. The couple of neighbours he had, had been entirely useless as expected when she'd asked them about his whereabouts. She hadn't seen him even once in town today, which was quite unusual, considering he loved to wander around even if he still had to contend with the foul temper of the townsfolk.

She stepped away from the window and ran her fingers through her hair, freeing it from a couple of knots. Perhaps she wouldn't feel so uneasy now if she had the certainty that he was at least _fine_ – especially with the heavy storm rapidly approaching.

"Damn brat," she muttered darkly and steadfastly ignoring the tremor in her hands, she set about making tea, mentally patting herself on the back for not grabbing the bottle of sake calling out to her.

Not too long after the kettle started whistling, the first raindrops splattered apart on the roof. That appeared the storm's cue, because not even a minute later the clouds broke and the rain started hammering down on the roof, creating a water curtain when she glanced out of the window. It had grown so dark by now that she could barely make out the tree standing in the corner of her yard and she grimaced; her hands tightening around her mug.

She almost dropped it on the floor when someone knocked loudly on her door. Dumping the mug on the counter, she hurried to the door and flung it open; her eyes widening when she recognised her visitor.

"Where the hell have you been?" she snapped, snatching his arm and pulling him roughly inside, smacking the door shut. It groaned underneath the onslaught of the wind, which whistled through the tiny gaps in the doorframe.

Naruto smiled sheepishly, bringing his hand up to scratch the back of his head. "Sorry, grandma, I lost track of time," he explained.

She eyed him critically, noticing he hadn't answered her question but filing it away for later. He was soaked to the bone, no surprise there, and she huffed, pointing at the small bathroom.

"Take a bath to warm up; I'm getting you a fresh set of clothes," she said and narrowed her eyes when he seemed ready to protest.

He blushed and shuffled to the bathroom, squeaking, "I'm going, I'm going!"

Shaking her head, she made sure to bolt the door shut before she went to the wardrobe in her bedroom, snatching an old shirt from one of the shelves that she was fairly certain of that it would be large enough for the boy.

And if it didn't … Well, his own fault for staying out so late when he knew a storm would pass over the town tonight.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later found them both around the kitchen table; her leaning back in her chair with one hand resting on the table and the other supporting her head, while he was blowing his tea, taking careful sips of it every five seconds and pulling a face when he discovered it was still hot.

"Where were you?" she repeated her earlier question, crossing her legs. "I haven't seen you the entire day."

"You were worried about me, grandma?" he grinned; his blue eyes twinkling mischievously. His wet hair was plastered against his skin; the blond strands framing his face. Even though he'd turned fifteen a month ago, he was still smaller than most of the boys around his age and the neckline of the shirt drooped a bit.

She scowled at him and kicked him underneath the table, making him hiss and pout. "You're bugging me practically every day, brat, what was I supposed to think when you suddenly didn't show up this afternoon?"

"I'm not bugging you," he pouted and sniffed at his tea before taking another cautious sip. This time he relaxed and sipped longer from it before he put the mug down on the table and sighed. "I was with a friend in the woods. Lost track of time, sorry," he apologised sincerely; his cheeks gaining a pinkish hue in the candle light.

A friend? She furrowed her eyebrows slightly and crossed her arms. She'd never heard him talking about a friend before. Frankly she hadn't thought he had any friends, considering how he was treated by most people in town.

"What's his name?" she questioned curiously, wondering if she could stick a face to the name. She normally should; she thought she knew most children around Naruto's age.

He grinned and slurped from his tea again. "Sasuke," he chirped.

That name didn't ring a bell at all.

"Where did you two meet?" It couldn't be at the local school; Naruto didn't attend that one. He only knew how to read and write – poorly but he still was capable of it – because she'd tutored him a couple of years ago.

"In the forest, near the river. He and his People live in the realm there," he told her cheerfully. "He started showing me around his place six months ago, but we met four years ago. He says his People have to follow certain rules when it comes to getting to know us regular humans, so that's why it took him so long before he could show me where he lived."

And off he went, describing in full detail a curtain of long, thin branches he had to push through – "But I can't tell you where it is, because it's a secret!" – to get to the Other Side, where Sasuke's family had greeted him and where the walls of homes were glistening with gems and crystals and where the water was as clear as day. A place where strange creatures, unknown to their world, meandered around peacefully and where the People were dressed in the most beautiful clothes one could imagine, even "Purple, grandma! Can you believe that!"

On and on he went and she sat there listening to him and humming at the right moments, but deep inside she only felt sorry for the bright chattering boy across from her. Because Sasuke wasn't real. Only a figment of Naruto's too active imagination.

_His People. The Realm._

She'd heard it all before, not that long ago even. About unearthly beautiful beings, resembling humans whilst at the same time clearly not human at all, who would accompany Naruto when he strolled through the woods. Who'd taught him how to create the perfect flower crown – "Fit for a king," he'd giggled when he'd showed her how to make one – and who danced with him.

_Little People_, they were called. _Faerlings_, people sometimes named them. _Fairy folk, faeries, Fay _… There were thousands stories out there talking about beautiful creatures dancing in the forest and trapping any poor soul who'd the misfortune to come across them in their circle, often not letting them go for years. When they finally escaped, they either found out that many years had passed since they stepped into the circle or they simply turned to dust.

They were stories told to children to warn them not to wander off into the woods, to caution them against following strange people. That was all they were, though: stories. Just stories, folk tales people told to amuse and scare each other.

But Naruto believed in them. Thought that all those stories were true and eagerly asked to hear more of them whenever Jiraiya visited the town.

He was fifteen years old, but he believed more in those stories than children of four did.

She should make it clear to him that they weren't true, she realised that. Before he would make the mistake of talking about it to other people, people who wouldn't indulge, people who were just looking for an excuse to harm him. She should tell him to keep him safe, like she'd been trying to do for all these years already.

But she couldn't.

It didn't feel right to snatch his friend away – imaginary as it was – when she hadn't seen him this happy before.

How bad could it be really, she consoled herself, to let him believe in fairy tales for just a little bit longer?

It made him happy – that had to be enough, no?

* * *

Naruto disappeared the day he turned sixteen.

* * *

She searched for him for days, weeks, months, but she never saw him again. Nobody she spoke had seen or heard from him since that fateful day. It was as if he'd simply vanished on that day, like he'd never existed at all.

Only the drawings he'd made over the years of the flowers he'd seen, reminded her that she hadn't imagined his presence at all. That he wasn't just a figment of her imagination.

"Maybe he just got tired of this town and went to seek a place where he wouldn't be harassed every time he sets foot outside," Jiraiya tried to console her when he visited her house ten months after Naruto had disappeared.

She glared balefully at him. "He would never leave for another town without telling me."

She was sure of that. There was no way he would have just left without warning her. He'd never shown any sign that he'd got tired of this place before, so why would he suddenly just up and leave like that?

No, her gut feeling told her something had happened to him, on that day he'd turned sixteen years old. Maybe he'd come across someone or something had happened to him when he went for a walk in the forest. Maybe he'd got lost and fell into a trap.

Anything could have happened to him. She didn't know what. All she knew was that he hadn't just left for another town.

Where he was now … That she didn't know, no matter how hard she searched.

* * *

She grumbled, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders. She went to the fireplace and pushed another wood block into the fire, watching the flames grow a tad bigger. Looking around the room, she contemplated just spending the night in front of the fire, figuring at least here she would stand a chance at catching some sleep in this terrible cold night.

Snow was steadily piling up outside and she was already dreading the morning when she would have to go out and get some more wood. If she didn't, though, there was a chance the next visitor would find a frozen statue instead.

The wind rattling the door and the windows made her clench her teeth and she shuffled closer to the fire, letting the heat seep into her cold hands. She'd never been fond of the winter and the awful weather they were experiencing since two days didn't really improve her opinion of it either. December had only just started, how could it be this damn cold already?!

She didn't pay attention to it at first, too absorbed in listening to the crackling of the fire. The sound grew more urgent, however, and she realised soon that somebody was banging on her front door.

"What the …" She hurried to the door, wondering just who was crazy enough to go out in this forsaken snowstorm. Was there anybody close to their due date? She didn't think so, but early labour could happen.

She wrestled the door open, the wood fighting with the harsh wind, and blinked at the sight of a hooded person standing right in front of her. He was a bit taller than her, his form giving away that he was a man, but she couldn't make out his face at all. The weak glimpse of the flames in the fireplace wasn't enough to illuminate the mysterious man's face.

"Can I help you?" she asked, flinching when the ice cold wind bit her skin.

"You're the doctor, Tsunade?" the man asked; his voice containing an odd sort of soft lilt to it.

"Yes, I am," she replied, a bit warily. "Who's asking?"

"I need your help," he stated, forgoing a reply to her own question.

"I'm not a regular doctor," she cautioned him, pulling the blanket tighter around her. It didn't do much to keep out the icy wind. "The most I can do is treat some scraps, perhaps stitch a small wound. I specialise in delivering babies."

"That's exactly why I need you," he said curtly. "Pack some bags; you need to come with me now."

She bristled at the commanding tone, but her doctor side wouldn't allow her to ignore a person in need and as such, she flitted around the house, collecting all the necessary tools in a bag and dressing herself in the thickest clothes she had, shoving her feet in the fur lined boots. She dawdled in front of the fireplace before regretfully dousing it, not knowing how long she would be gone. She didn't fancy returning to a burnt out home should anything go wrong during her absence.

"All right, I'm ready," she announced, pulling the door tightly shut behind her.

She didn't spot him immediately but then a shadow separated from the house and the cloaked man held out his hand, beckoning her to follow him.

"Come." His cloak was whipping around his legs, a victim of the wind, but still the hood remained, covering his face from view.

She was already dreading the walk to whichever house he'd take her and thus was shocked to see a pure black horse waiting a couple of yards away; the moonlight spilling like milky white ink across the back and its manes.

There was no saddle, only some reigns, she quickly realised and she eyed the bare back uncertainly.

"Here." Out of nowhere it seemed the man produced a stool and she used that as a makeshift ladder to get onto the horse. The animal bristled slightly when she tentatively sank down on its back; her bag resting against her right hip. The horse calmed down at once when its owner settled right behind her, grabbing the reigns.

"Hold on tightly to his mane," he instructed her.

She barely had time to do so before the horse started running, practically flying across the thick snow blanket. Her fingers tightened almost desperately around the thick strands of rough hair and she had to remind herself to keep breathing even when the speed of the horse and the sharp wind were doing their best to steal the very breath out of her lungs.

Her breath did hitch when she saw in which direction they were dashing off to: _the woods_.

"You're not from the town," she stated dumbly; her voice carried away in the howling wind.

Still, he heard her and her stomach clenched when he chuckled lowly behind her. "No, I'm not."

"Where are you from?" If he was from the village behind the forest, why had he gone all the way to her town to find a doctor? Especially in this mad weather!

"From behind the Veil."

"What." She went to turn around to stare at him, but he clucked his tongue in warning and she frowned, turning reluctantly back to the front. The Veil? Was he joking right now? If he didn't want to tell her, why say something as stupid as that?

They entered the woods much faster than she had expected and she couldn't help but flinch when the trees rushed past her; the horse seemingly flying straight between them. The darkness was so thick here, the leaf roof holding back the moonlight, that she had a hard time telling whether they were still on the actual path or not. And if they weren't, where the hell was he taking her?

Uneasily she acknowledged that going with a strange man in a snowstorm perhaps hadn't been a very smart idea. Nobody knew where she was now, everyone she knew assuming she was just at home, so if something happened to her now, nobody in town would be able to help her.

Right when she opened her mouth to demand the man to tell her where he was taking them, the man said, "Don't be afraid."

"Afraid? Of what should I be - " A hand clamped her mouth shut, muffling her screaming when they suddenly plunged downwards and several thin and rough things touched her face, snatching at her hair and her cloak.

They landed roughly and she gasped, opening her eyes again. They were in some sort of tunnel, of which the walls were pulsating with an odd soft white light, chasing away some of the darkness. The tunnel was hacked out of an unidentifiable type of rock and her ears caught the distant sound of water running.

"Where are we?" she inquired uneasily, cursing herself when her voice shook. The hairs in her neck stood up right as the horse trotted deeper down the tunnel; its pace more gentle now.

For a couple of seconds she swore she could hear a flute playing somewhere near her right, but the noise was gone before she could be sure her ears weren't playing tricks on her.

"My world," the man stated calmly. "The other side of the Veil, the Country behind the Curtain, whatever you want to call it."

"You're kidding me," she said faintly, discreetly pinching her arm. The sharp sting told her she wasn't dreaming.

He sounded annoyed when he replied, "Of course not. Why would I lie about this?"

"You're not supposed to exist," she murmured dazed, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she was apparently in _faery land_.

The man leading her to god knew where was a faery? One of those Little People? This had to be some kind of joke, right? There was no way this was real.

But then she glanced around, looked at the strangely glowing walls, the abundance of flowers creeping up from the bottom of the walls up to the middle of them – it was winter and they were clearly underground, how could flowers be growing now?! – and noted that she couldn't hear the horse walking even though there was no snow muffling its footsteps and she had to concede that yes, apparently this was all very real.

_She was actually in faery land._

The man snorted. "A lot of things aren't supposed to happen, yet they do," he said dismissively. "Here we need to get off Amaterasu. It's just a bit further now."

Lost in a daze, she allowed him to help her off the horse and followed him around the corner, only now realising that the tunnel was splitting into several other tunnels, each going into a different direction. A shadow danced across the wall in the tunnel on her left but before she could catch a glimpse, the man barked at her to stop dawdling. Instantly she was filled with indignation and annoyance – _he_ was the one who'd suddenly taken her to another world! She was allowed to be out of sorts now! – but she reminded herself that he'd brought her here for a reason and the thought of a woman in need of her help had her swallowing back a sharp retort.

He led her to a room at the end of a long hallway; there were vines growing around the doorframe, small white flowers peeking out from between the green stems and bright green grass covered the floor in front of the door, acting like some sort of carpet.

"You're doing so well, un," a man was murmuring in the room.

A low pained moan was his response and the man who'd brought her here was striding into the room before she could even blink, leaving her to hurry after him.

"How is he doing?" the man demanded, looking at a long haired, blond man, who'd risen up the second the first man had set foot inside.

Tsunade didn't cast a second look at the two men. Her attention was entirely focused on the person writhing in pain on the large bed, who was curled around a large, rounded belly; the long white shirt already clinging to sweat slick skin.

A person she instantly recognised despite not having seen him in two years. A person she had believed to be lost forever.

"Naruto?" she gasped, completely dumbstruck.

She couldn't believe her own eyes. He was really _here_, right in front of her! His hair was a bit longer and he'd grown a bit taller, but he was definitely her brat! The kid she had felt compelled to raise, even though she'd never even known his parents.

He was here – _and on the verge of giving birth_.

That shouldn't be possible, couldn't be possible. He was definitely a boy – or man, she supposed she had to consider him now as – so how was it possible that …

_A Bearer._

The term echoed in her mind; instantly every bit of information she'd read about it jumped to the forefront of her mind, even though it had been years since she'd last researched it.

A Bearer was a person considered to be a mixture of a man and a woman, possessing both reproductive organs. They either looked fully woman or fully man – very rarely did they look neither like a man, neither like a woman – but their organs betrayed their unique identity. There weren't many of them; the chances of being born as a Bearer were very slim. The most recent book about it spoke of eleven identified Bearers in their country.

To think Naruto was one of them … And that they were now in faery land on top of that …

It made her head spin and she feared she was going to faint any second now; the revelations – few as they were – too much for her.

"You! Help my _bhanrigh_!" the cloaked man barked at her.

She didn't understand the last word at all, but it was very obvious who he was referring to and she shook her head briskly. Now was not the time to get lost in her thoughts or god forbid, to lose consciousness. Naruto required her help and she was going to give it to him. She would contemplate these strange events later, when she was assured that both Naruto and the babe were fine.

"Get me some towels and a small tub with warm water," she ordered, shedding her cloak and her gloves, dumping her scarf on top of them. She opened her bag and started collecting the necessary tools, ignoring the sound of her heart beating loudly in her ears.

She had to focus now; freaking out could happen later.

The second man nodded and flitted out of the room; his dark red robes swishing across his ankles. Meanwhile the first man had got rid of his own cloak and when Tsunade glanced at him briefly, she was immediately struck by how handsome he looked. Well, if he was truly one of the Little People, it made sense that he would be beautiful. To be honest, his beauty was so unreal to look at it, that it made her uneasy and forced her to avert her eyes, her cheeks flushing lightly underneath the piercing stare of pitch black eyes.

Naruto clearly didn't share her reservations, because he unfurled from his curled form with a small groan, reaching out with his hands to the faery.

"Sasuke, it hurts," he whimpered; his eyelashes clumped together with tears.

_Sasuke_ … A shock went through her at hearing that name, but she forced herself to roll up her sleeves instead. She could think about all this and its implications later.

"I know, my love, but I brought you someone who'll help you," the man, Sasuke, said soothingly and he sank down on the bed, sitting half behind the blond. He let Naruto grab one hand and with the other, he stroked his hair back, murmuring things in his ear too soft for Tsunade to hear and pressing kisses on his cheek and forehead every couple of seconds.

"Lie down on your back, Naruto," she ordered, sitting down gingerly on the bed.

It felt firm underneath her knees and she couldn't help but think that overall the room looked rather dreary with its bare walls, bare floor and just white sheets on the bed. She'd expected to see at least some flowers given they were in the faery world.

"How long have you been having these contractions?" she questioned, nodding at the long haired man in thanks when he deposited a small bowl next to her with a pile of leaf green towels next to it.

"If you need me, un, I'll be waiting outside," he said calmly and disappeared again, pulling the door shut behind him.

"Five hours or so?" Naruto replied uncertainly, turning around onto his back with a wince. "But they got worse this past hour."

"Let me check your - " She jumped when Sasuke hissed viciously at her and she hastily released Naruto's shirt, lifting her hands in the air. Then she grew mad. "Look, you brought me here to help him and to do that, I need to check his progress! I can't do that if you're going to get mad at me with every move I make!"

"It's fine, Sasuke," Naruto smiled weakly at him, squeezing his hand. He bent his knees and braced his feet on the bed; his cheeks turning even redder. "Go on, grandma."

She eyed Sasuke warily, but while he still scowled at her, he didn't hiss when she lifted the shirt upwards. This was the first time she would help a Bearer with labour and she was surprised to note that there appeared to be an extra opening right above his anus. His testicles were smaller than the average man, but then again, she thought, that was probably a result of being a Bearer and having two different sets of reproductive organs.

Then her scientific side shut down and only the doctor was left behind, studying her patient critically.

"You're fully dilated," she commented, catching Naruto's eyes. They stared back at her nervously with a touch of fear, and her stomach did an uncomfortable tumble when she thought of just how young he still was. Sure, at eighteen most people were close to getting married, some even already having a second child, but …

The vulnerable look in those shimmering blue eyes made her realise just how _young_ eighteen actually was.

She took a deep breath and offered him a reassuring smile. "This isn't my first time, kid, I promise you I'll help you get through this, okay?" She waited until he nodded and went on, "When you feel the next contraction, I want you to start pushing, okay? Don't fight against the pain, but let it help you instead."

"I don't think pain is really helping me here," he muttered.

She smiled wryly. "Try at least; that's going to make this whole process a lot easier, trust me."

"I trust you," he stated and something in her chest warmed at hearing that.

Then he flinched and he started pushing, whimpering, and she focused on the task ahead.

_Delivering the babe safe and soundly._

* * *

Nearly two hours, a lot of cursing and groaning and pleading later, a small baby cried his lungs out, swinging his little chubby arms and legs furiously in the air. His head was covered with fine, pitch black hair and when he briefly opened his eyes, a flash of dark blue snared everyone's attention.

"Here he is, safe and healthy and in possession of all ten toes and ten fingers," Tsunade announced after she'd cleaned the baby and wrapped him up in a fresh towel.

"Gimme!" Naruto said pleadingly; his voice shot to hell after the crying and cursing he'd done. Sasuke had helped him put on a fresh long shirt, but the blond's attention was completely focused on the baby wiggling against Tsunade's chest.

"You did a good job, Naruto," she murmured, carefully placing the babe in his arms.

As if he'd been taking care of babies all his life, there was no hesitation in the way Naruto closed his arms around the boy, resting him against his chest and cooing at him. His cheeks were a ruddy red and he looked exhausted after the many hours spent in labour, but he was radiating pure love and happiness; his blue eyes shining as brightly as the stars at night.

He might be still young, might have been scared, but it was clear that despite all that, this little baby boy was very welcome and would be deeply cherished.

"Look how beautiful he is," he said awed, briefly looking up at Sasuke.

The faery's face – drawn with worry and agitation – softened and he sat down next to Naruto again, reaching out a finger to carefully stroke the baby's cheek. "He's perfect," he murmured. "Looks just like you."

That made Naruto blush and he ducked his head. "Nu-uh, he's got your hair."

"But your face and your eyes, so he's perfect," Sasuke said calmly.

"Tsunade-sama?"

She turned her head, surprised to see the long haired blond in the room again. He smiled at her and held out his left hand.

"We have prepared a room for you. You can sleep there, un," he told her, looking at her expectantly.

"Ehm, I think I'm ready to go home, though," she remarked cautiously, cleaning her last tool before shoving it into the bag again.

"You're to stay here for a while longer," Sasuke stated, not even looking at her. All his attention was focused on the mewling babe in Naruto's arms.

"Look, I didn't mind helping Naruto, but I just can't stay here for however long you want me to," she retorted annoyed. "I still have other patients to attend and - "

"That will be taken care of," Sasuke said dismissively. "You're to stay here and help Naruto with the baby."

Well … She couldn't really refuse. She hadn't seen Naruto in two years; she had so many things to ask him …

She guessed staying a bit longer wouldn't hurt.

* * *

She was awoken what felt only a couple of hours later, called out of her sleep by a dark haired man who bore a striking resemblance to Sasuke.

"Sasuke and Naruto request your presence," the man announced and there was something in the way he held himself that made her think he had to be high ranked.

Did faeries work with ranks? She was almost certain they did; the stories usually contained a mention of a faery king or queen after all. That implied the existence of ranks.

"What for?" She furrowed her eyebrows but nevertheless got out of the bed, casting a mournful look at it. Despite the strange events of last night, she had slept like a rose in the soft bed; the sheets having felt like silk against her bare skin.

"To help them with the child," he replied and beckoned her to follow him. "You may take a bath and eat breakfast afterwards; this won't take too long."

"If you say so," she muttered and threw on the soft blue robe the long haired blond man had given her last night. It felt incredibly light and even softer than silk, yet it was comfortably warm. Elven material?

The man nodded at her respectfully when he left her behind at the door to Naruto's room and walked away without awaiting any reply from her. Sighing softly, she knocked on the door and upon being told to enter, she walked into the room, squashing down the apprehension which was trying to take over. She couldn't trust any of these faeries, but she knew Naruto and he would never allow any harm to befell her, she was sure of that.

"Good morning," she greeted them.

Naruto was sitting upright and he was busy buttoning his shirt, but he looked at her with a warm smile, chirping, "Good morning, grandma! Did you sleep well?"

"Can't complain," she said and drew closer to the bed, watching the baby boy in Sasuke's arms. "You requested my help?"

In response, Sasuke handed the baby to Naruto and kissed the blond on his mouth before straightening up and turning to look at her. "Teach him how to correctly clean the youngling and everything else you think he needs to know about taking care of a child," he ordered her and picked up a jar from a small table which hadn't been there the previous night. "You'll put a bit of this cream on our child's eyes every morning, but make sure to clean your hands afterwards so that none of this cream touches your face. If you do put this cream on your own skin, you won't like the consequences," he promised her darkly and pressed the jar in her hand.

"I'll be back later," he promised Naruto, his tone audibly softening, and after caressing both the baby's and Naruto's cheek, he left the room.

"Quite the bossy man, huh?" she remarked, narrowing her eyes.

Naruto smiled fondly, not looking perturbed at all. "That's Sasuke. Don't mind him; he's just a bit antsy now," he chuckled and carefully shuffled to the edge of the mattress. "He's a tad overprotective now, but he means no harm."

When he looked at her, he grew serious. "Just don't put the cream on your face, grandma. That's a warning you should heed."

"Can I eat the food here or should I be worried about being trapped then?" she asked warily, eyeing the jar suspiciously. What was so special about this cream that she had to put it on the babe's eyes every morning, but wasn't allowed to put it on her own face? Was it something dangerous? Something only a Fae child could tolerate on their skin?

That made him laugh and he threw his head back. "No, don't worry, the food you'll eat won't affect you."

But it would affect anyone else, huh? She was starting to have a feeling that the stories contained more truthful elements than they had ever dared to believe.

* * *

She hadn't been taken away by just any faery, oh no. That would have been way too simple. No, the man who'd taken her to the Other Side of the Veil, the man who watched her interact with Naruto and the babe – who they had named Kazuyuki – with the eyes of a hawk, was none other than the current _king_ of the Fay.

Sasuke was the king and Naruto was his queen for a lack of a better word. And now their son was the prince, the future king of the faery world.

Everything Naruto had told her before was true. From encountering Sasuke in the woods – "He was the one who helped heal these scars, grandma, remember?" Naruto had said and had pointed at his cheeks, where six thin whine lines were still visible to this day. A result of having been attacked by some idiot but they had already resembled scars by the time he'd gone to Tsunade – to the place where the Veil between the two worlds was at its thinnest, allowing Naruto and Sasuke to visit each other regularly.

A friend of Sasuke's – a faery girl named Karin – had taught Naruto how to create flower crowns and had also been the one to teach him how to dance. Throughout all these years Naruto had befriended several faeries, but Sasuke had become his best friend; the one faery he met the most and who taught him all the wonders of the forest.

When Naruto had turned sixteen, Sasuke had whisked him away to his world in order to properly court him.

When she'd heard that, she had to excuse herself from the room to laugh hysterically. To think that all this time she'd been right! Naruto had indeed vanished from their world!

They had married according to the faeries' traditions one day after Naruto had turned seventeen and not long after that, Naruto had become pregnant.

"Don't you miss our world?" Tsunade asked one day, sipping from her tea. She'd been here for two weeks so far, but she still couldn't feel completely at ease, no matter how friendly the faeries were.

Naruto looked contemplatively as he switched Kazuyuki to his other nipple so the baby boy could continue drinking. That was something else that had surprised her and made her eager to record her findings: Naruto was capable of breastfeeding his child, in spite of the fact that his chest area hadn't grown that noticeably.

"Not really," he confessed eventually, gazing down thoughtfully at his son. "There was never anything there for me. The only reason I stayed for so long was because of you."

At Tsunade's inquiring look, he elaborated, "Sasuke had wanted to take me with him when I turned fourteen, but I told him I wanted to stay for a while longer." He exhaled softly. "He allowed me that fancy up until some guy tried to attack me a week before I turned sixteen. Then he refused to let me stay anymore."

She bit down on her lip. "Are you happy here, Naruto?" she questioned softly. Their surroundings weren't exactly happiness inducing, with its empty dark walls and bare rooms and none of the luxury she would have expected to see within a king's or queen's chambers.

The smile she received settled her worries. "I am, grandma. There's no other place I'd rather be than with Sasuke. I love him and he loves me." Blue eyes softened.

She nodded slowly. "Then I'm happy for you."

It hurt somewhat to realise that Naruto would never return to their world again – that this might be the last time she would ever see and speak to him again – but if he was happy here, then that was all that mattered.

She could handle never seeing him again after this if it meant that he finally lived a happy life.

* * *

She'd always been curious, ever since she'd been but a small child, and thus even after a month, she couldn't help but wonder just what exactly the cream she had to smear on the baby's eyes was meant to do. Kazuyuki didn't act out of the ordinary after having the cream put on his eyes; he cooed and whined and cried just like any other child.

Only his ethereal looks and slightly pointed ears gave away that he wasn't completely human.

But the cream …

One morning her curiosity reached a new level of desperation and after casting a quick glance around, ensuring she was completely alone, she wiped her finger across her left eye instead of cleaning it with water as the king had ordered her to do.

Cautiously she opened her left eye again and –

Barely managed to stifle her gasp on time when instead of bare walls, a bathroom exploding with all kinds of flowers and gleaming gemstones lining the plinths greeted her. Startled she closed her left eye again and the bathroom returned to its empty and bleak looking surroundings.

Open the left eye and there were the flowers and the gemstones again. Close it and everything returned to its bleak state.

Only now did she realise that she had never seen the real faery land. She had only witnessed what they had wanted her to see – but the cream showed the truth. It showed the wondrous world in which the faeries lived; it showed walls bursting with flowers, paths encrusted with gemstones and diamonds, water falls clattering cheerfully outside the tunnels. It showed Naruto dressed in magnificent, deep golden robes; a small crown embedded with sapphires and rubies resting on his head most of the time.

It showed a world filled with wonders and luxury and she nearly wept at the glorious sight of it all. If this was what Naruto saw on a daily basis, no wonder he never wanted to leave!

She had to be careful, though. She couldn't let anyone know she'd broken the king's rule. Sasuke's warning rang clear as day in her head and she resolved to act as she always did, not giving them any reason to suspect she'd gone against the king's order. She didn't know exactly what the consequences would be, but she wasn't eager to find that out either.

* * *

It wasn't easy, pretending that she couldn't see the magnificent world the faeries lived in, and thus she couldn't help but feel secretly relieved when Sasuke announced three days later that her time here was over and she was to return to her world.

"Thank you so much for helping me," Naruto told her and sniffled, hugging her tightly. "I'll miss you," he confessed in her neck.

She blinked away the hot tears threatening to escape and allowed herself to hug him firmly back. "Of course I would help you. You can always call me if you need something. Doesn't matter what," she swore.

"I'm glad to hear that," Naruto smiled and cleared his throat, taking a couple of steps back. "Have a safe trip home, grandma."

Sasuke handed the baby over to him and he started rocking the child gently, smiling at her wobbly.

"I'll make sure she's safe," Sasuke promised him and he threw on the cloak he'd worn on the night he'd taken her with him.

His horse was waiting for them at the end of the tunnel and just like the first time, he helped her onto the horse, taking a seat behind her before telling the horse to run.

All too soon they were at the edge of the forest and she blinked at the harsh daylight, the weak sunlight reflected by the thick layer of snow coating everything in sight.

"How am I supposed to explain my absence?" she asked, frowning, and dropped down onto the ground; her bag thumping against her hip.

He looked down at her from the back of the horse. "Time works differently in my world," he told her, smiling wryly. "What is a month in my world was barely a night in yours. You can tell them you went for a walk if anyone questions you."

Huh, she guessed at least the odd time difference played in her favour now.

"As a reward for helping us out, you may have this bag of golden coins and rubies," he said, holding out a heavy bag to her.

"Ehm, thank you," she said shakily and accepted the bag. She wanted to refuse, but she also remembered the stories warning to never refuse a faery's reward, lest you wanted to offend them greatly.

"One more thing: don't tell another soul of what you experienced in my world," Sasuke warned her and had disappeared into the thick fog before she could open her mouth.

Leaving her gaping with only her memories and the bag of coins as proof that her visit to the faery world had really happened.

* * *

She never thought she would see Naruto again.

* * *

He smiled when his three year old son's laughter filled the dark winter sky; the joyous sound carried away in the wind as their horses raced through the woods. He was sitting in front on his uncle's horse and Itachi winked at him when they sped past him.

"Kazuyuki sounds like he's having the time of his life," Naruto snickered, leaning back into his chest. "Told you he would love going out tonight."

He rolled his eyes indulgently. "He's got your sense of adventure; of course he would love this."

"Hey, my sense of adventure led me to you, so can you really complain about that?" Naruto pointed out and well, he had to concede that his bhanrigh had a point there.

"You win this time," he murmured in Naruto's ear and smiled when his breath caressing his ear shell made the blond shiver.

"I'll accept my reward when we're back home," Naruto said mischievously; his blue eyes glowing when he briefly turned his head to look at Sasuke.

"Whatever you wish, my love," Sasuke smirked and then called out the order for everyone to assemble in the formation they had agreed on earlier this week.

They were celebrating the start of the new year with a horse ride through their woods and at Naruto's request they would visit his former home town briefly. None of the humans would notice them of course, their magic preventing the beings from seeing them, but it still paid to be cautious and so, their pace had slowed down significantly by the time they entered the border of the town.

They walked in a straight line through the main street, watching the decorated trees with interest, and inhaling the curious scents of human sweet treats and sweet smelling drinks. As the king, Sasuke rode first and it was when he was turning his horse around, preparing to return to the woods that he became aware of it.

_Eyes staring at them._

Instantly on high alert, he looked around, wondering which human being had the Gift and what exactly they should do to keep that human quiet. When he finally locked eyes with the ones staring at them, he froze and then gnashed his teeth together in fury.

_She!_

"Sasuke?" Naruto asked worriedly, but he paid him no mind for once and instead jumped off his horse and stormed at the doctor, the woman who'd helped Naruto give birth three years ago –

And who'd specifically ignored the one order he'd given her and had put the magical ointment on her eyes!

"You! Which eye do you see us with?" he hissed and to his dark satisfaction she'd started to tremble, looking properly afraid. As she should be after going against him!

"I – I don't know …"

"Don't lie to me, human!" he snarled, restraining himself from slapping her. "You're seeing us! You used the ointment! I won't ask you again: which eye do you see us with?"

"My – my left," she confessed weakly, cowering when he smiled cruelly.

"I told you, you would have to face the consequences if you disobeyed me," he said coldly and raised his finger. "For your transgression, I will have your eye."

"What? No! Please! I know I shouldn't have done that and I'm really sorry, I swear!" she pleaded, but it was no use.

She'd gone against him and she would suffer the punishment for it.

But before he could stretch out his hand, another hand grabbed his wrist and Naruto wriggled between him and the woman.

"Naruto, move!" he growled, not in the mood to deal with his husband just yet.

"No, Sasuke, you can't hurt her!" Naruto said determined, snatching both his wrists.

"I can and I will," Sasuke hissed, glaring at him. "She ignored my order!"

"I know and she shouldn't have done that, but if you take her eye now, who'll be able to help me in seven months?" Naruto asked, almost breathless, and then he shoved Sasuke's hands underneath his shirt, letting him palm his stomach and _oh_.

"Baby?" he brought out shocked, switching his gaze back and forth between Naruto's face and his stomach.

"Baby," Naruto confirmed, smiling brightly, and kissed him softly. "So don't hurt her, okay? We'll need her help with the next one."

_He was going to be a father again._

That news made him so elated that he grabbed Naruto's face and kissed him deeply, ignoring his brother's chuckle and his son's inquiring as to why they were standing still here.

"I'll see you in seven months," he told the shocked doctor and narrowed his eyes. "You got off lucky. Be grateful."

He ignored her stammering and picked up Naruto in his arms, making the younger man laugh and clasp his arms around his neck.

"Home?" Naruto asked; his blue eyes glistening like the sapphires in the crown he wore proudly every day.

"Home," Sasuke said decisively and kissed him again before they climbed onto Amaterasu to ride back home.

They had something far more important than the new year only to celebrate tonight.

**The End**

* * *

**AN2: My first attempt at a fairy talish story! Nice start of the new year, huh? :D**

**Please leave your thoughts behind in a review; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me.**

**I hope to see you all back in my future stories!**

**Cuddles**

**Melissa**

**P.S. For more information about my upcoming and posted stories, please visit my profile.**


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